Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in the main Plaza de Armas.After flight issues, we arrived in Cusco at about 2 PM and were met at the airport by our guide, Alex. Not gonna lie, most bodies are not suited for life at 11,000 feet...
We spent the afternoon touring Corincancha, the former "golden courtyard" palace upon which a Spanish church now sits. We also toured the huge Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas (essentially the old Town Square), also built on top of former Incan ruins. The Peruvians (at least in Cusco) have finally come to terms with their native Incan past mixed with the currently dominant Spanish language and culture. A statue of Pachacuti now sits in the middle of the square - the 9th Incan emperor and the one most responsible for growing the expansive Incan empire.
The sun casts sharp shadows, even in the Peruvian winter, which makes for stark images if you like to take photographs. And there is a lot to take in in Cusco. After a few hours though, your body will suddenly tell you "hey, something is not right". They say only one in ten people actually get debilitating altitude sickness, but I would guess nine out of ten feel a little "off", lightheaded or queasy.
TIP OF THE DAY: Take it easy your first day in Cusco. That's really the best remedy for altitude sickness. If your schedule allows, even ask to schedule the first day just to chill out before doing any touring and just walk around Plaza de Armas (if staying near there) and watch the crowds. We took Diamox and drank coca tea, which may or may not have helped. But everyone certainly felt better on Day 2 in Cusco. Make sure to stay hydrated, as dehydration can greatly accentuate altitude sickness, and we found a little ginger ale or ginger pills did help with some of the queasiness at mealtime. So take it easy the first day and that should make the rest of your week go that much better.
BONUS TIP: We had gone to our bank to get some Peruvian Soles. Alas, the rate from our bank was horrible (2.88 soles / $). ATMs are plentiful and, aside from the $5 typical ATM fee, we actually got a decent rate of 3.12 soles/$. Know the rate before you go to make sure you also don't get scalped too much, as many shops will take dollars as well as Soles.
HOTEL: Hotel Monestario, a Belmond property. Truly amazing - the hotel and the staff. Excellent breakfast and wifi.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.